Halfway through a 10-day tour in Israel, Risa Nagel had a decision to make. The 25-year-old grant writer from Seattle had hiked the hills of Galilee and wandered the ancient market in Jerusalem. “We will be able to see for ourselves what’s going on,” one of them told her. Over nearly two decades, a nonprofit organization called Birthright Israel has given nearly 700,000 young Jews an all-expense-paid trip to Israel, an effort to bolster a distinct Jewish identity and forge an emotional connection to Israel. The trips, which are partly funded by the Israeli government, have become a rite of passage for American Jews.

Source: New York Times June 11, 2019 15:55 UTC